World

The story of the Miʿrāj may easily give rise to a misunderstanding. Some readers may conclude that the criticism is directed toward the prophets themselves—toward Muhammad for accepting the reduction of the prayers, or toward Moses for recommending it. Nothing could be further from my intention. In fact, the more I reflect upon the story, the more my admiration for both prophets increases. The criticism, if there is any, is directed elsewhere. It is directed toward humanity itself and toward a persistent feature of the human condition that the story so brilliantly exposes.

There is an important distinction which must be kept clear whenever we speak about trust in God, prayer, human action, and protection from harm. A person may pray to God for food, for safety, for healing, and for deliverance from danger; yet this prayer does not require him to sit idle as though God’s providence excluded the use of the body, the mind, and the created world. On the contrary, the ordinary means by which a person receives food, safety, and health are themselves part of the order through which God works.

Judas Iscariot was not a mere betrayer but the second most important man in the circle of Jesus. The Gospels, when read attentively, do not portray him as an outsider sneaking in for money, but as a trusted official who stood next to the Lord Himself.